I am curious about the predicate nominative. Translating "He was devastated". I said Il dévastait, but my friend said Il était dévasté, which one?

Linda B.C1Kwiziq community member

I am curious about the predicate nominative. Translating "He was devastated". I said Il dévastait, but my friend said Il était dévasté, which one?

This question relates to:French lesson "to be"
Asked 5 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Linda, 

I see...

I think you are confusing the rules of the Perfect tense (using avoir or être) with this use of the verb être simply followed by an adjective.

The use of the imperfect is correct as être, being a verb of state, will be more often in the imperfect ( imparfait) than the Perfect (passé composé) but if it were it would be 

Il a  été bouleversé par cette nouvelle ( indicating that he has probably got over it by now)

Hope this helps!

 

CécileKwiziq team member

Hi Linda,

If you are talking of a person you could say -

Il était anéanti/bouleversé/effondré ...

if you are talking of a building, land, country ...

you could use dévasté/ ravagé.

Hope this helps!

 

Linda B.C1Kwiziq community member
Thank you Cecile! So dévasté would not be used for a person. My question though was the construction, seeing etre conjugated with a non "house of etre" verb, threw me. I would have picked avoir as in 'avait dévasté' which was before I knew not to use dévaster for a humain!! lol Is this construction the predicate nominative? I'm just trying to learn when to use this construction and when not to! Thank you!!
Mickey M.A2Kwiziq community member
the one you said was in the imperfect past and the one your friend said was complex past I guess.....

I am curious about the predicate nominative. Translating "He was devastated". I said Il dévastait, but my friend said Il était dévasté, which one?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Getting that for you now...